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Free Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World Essay Sample

Buy Cheap Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World Essay

Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Weatherford is a very well-written book which uncovers and explains in a very unique, simple and modern way of how the life and deeds of Genghis Khan are connected to the foundations of the modern world. It answers all the questions about Genghis Khan and the Mongols - his people. Weatherford provides a clearer view on the deeds and history of Genghis Khan and his people considering the fact that Genghis Khan is widely known to be a bad person and he and his people's rape of every country and culture they have conquered. A common person who does not know the real score about Genghis Khan and his people would probably have heard of Genghis Khan as a demon and all of the negative things that can be attributed to anyone. Weatherford provides a way to reveal the positive nature and effects of Genghis Khan's works and feats. In this way, the reader would probably believe that his knowledge of world history and of the Mongols is way far from what the real picture is. Jack Weatherford's accounts creates a more equal grounds of examination and understanding of what the real Mongol world looks like and how it affected the modern world today. According to Anthropology.net, Jack Weatherford is an anthropologist who specializes in the process of modernization. He received an Honorary Doctorate degree of Humanities from Chinggis Khaan College in Mongolia. He spent time in Mongolia experiencing the life of a steppe nomad while researching Genghis Khan. After reading the book, the reader will be convinced that the book was well-knowledgeable and that Genghis Khan and his nation were thoroughly researched. In addition, he worked on the issues of monetization on cultures and the impacts of other lesser known or popular cultures on the modern human life. His book basically contains a revisionist tone and that it tries to justify and redeem the negative stereotype on Genghis Khan and his nation. Weatherford wrote the book to be able to reevaluate the history of the Mongols.

Normally, a person who studied world history would probably think that Genghis Khan is the most known barbarian in world history, however, questions of why and how did this perception was established and how it took place is very important to be answered. The book is basically about the life of Genghis Khan, which is divided into three parts: the first part describes the time from his birth to his rise as an emperor, the second part describes the Mongol World conquests, and the third part focuses on how the Mongolian Dynasty impacted modern society. The transitions of each part are compact and flowing which is very easy to read. Furthermore, it contains valuable nuggets of historical information that are very useful, efficient and very fun to read. Many interesting historical facts that were stated in the book include: (1) the Mongols invented a lot of unprecedented and civilized institutions such as the first postal service; (2) Genghis Khan fully modified and integrated a paper money system that was not entirely successful in the originating culture, China; and lastly, (3) they wore silk shirts for armor. These information provided re-evaluation of the history and stereotype of the Mongols.

The book is basically written to present the life and history of Genghis Khan in a different light than that of the traditional Western historiography. The book is well-researched and thoroughly constructed, page-by-page, thought-per-thought. Weatherford considered three major non-Western sources which include: (1) the Secret History of the Mongols, (2) the Ta' r%u012Bkh-i jah%u0101n-gush%u0101 of Juvayni and (3) the Jami al-Tawarikh of Rashid-al-Din Hamadani. Examination of the validity of the sources is very important to be able to justify the accuracy of the facts presented in the book. The first major source, the Secret History of the Mongols, is the oldest surviving Mongolian-language literary work. It was written some time after Genghis Khan's death in AD 1227. Furthermore, it is regarded as the single significant native Mongolian account of Genghis Khan. It was suppressed by: first, Mongols because of the death taboo; second, by circumstance; third and last, by the Soviet who actively opposed any reference to Genghis lest he inspire nationalist fervor. Second, the Ta' r%u012Bkh-i jah%u0101n-gush%u0101 of Juvayni is a detailed historical account written by the Persian Ata al-Mulk Juvayni describing the Mongol, Genghis Khan, and Ilkhanid conquest of Persia. It is written based on survivor's accounts. Also, it is one of the main sources on the feat of Genghis Khan's armies through the nomadic tribes of Tajikstan and the established cities of the Silk Road, and successive campaigns until Genghis Khan's death in 1227 and beyond. Lastly, the Jami al-Tawarikh of Rashid-al-Din Hamadani is a book by Persians that accounts the history, myths and legends of the Mongols. These sources are existing and considered to be valuable and rich sources of historical information.

However, after some thorough personal research, there are some inaccuracies about the historical information presented by Weatherford that arose. Some of these inaccuracies are: (1) Weatherford claims that the Mongols started the first international postal service, however, historical accounts of Romans' introduction of official postal services was present over the previous millennium; (2) the Mongols promoted trade and the free movement of goods as "silent partners", however, economic historians of China reported that their greed was extremely high that the Chinese economy was downgraded; (3) Mongols were the first to use paper money widely, on the other hand, the Chinese have done so centuries before; (4) Genghis Khan was reported to have started "regular census" in China, however, Chinese government started such ages ago; and (5) Genghis Khan was reported to have abolished feudalism, but according to many more sources, he exterminated any noble family that can threaten his own dynasty. He built a hierarchical system that promotes the rule of his family. These are just some of the inaccuracies in Weatherford's statements and claims.

Weatherford uses both original ideas and statements, together with the sources of old materials in delivery of the subject matter. He even experienced first-hand steppe life in the Mongolian region to be able to understand the culture and past of Genghis Khan. Although many negative thoughts, ideas and information have reached the minds of the world, Weatherford did his best to justify, reevaluate and restate the history of Genghis Khan and his people. The book is a very informative book which presents a different kind of concept regarding the life and history of Genghis Khan. It promotes re-evaluation of the traditional Western historiography. It is a combination of original thoughts and restating of old non-Western sources. Furthermore, it is a slightly biased work that aims to redeem the reputation, life and history of Genghis Khan and his nation by interpretation and delivery of positive information on the subject. Although bias is present, this book provides a new way of understanding the life and history of Genghis Khan and his nation.

In conclusion, the book is very helpful in understanding the Genghis Khan and his nation differently from the traditional Western historiography. In addition, the book is well-written and can be understood very quickly and easily. This book is highly informative, entertaining and fun in terms of the historical aspects of the book. Lastly, for a person knowledgeable in simple world history, this is a way to be able to widen a person's understanding and knowledge regarding Genghis Khan and his people. This different account of Genghis Khan's history brings light into a new view of the life and history of Genghis Khan and his people.